D&D 5E (2014) The Lost Lands: Borderland Provinces

[LapBandit]

Do you provide a section for integrating your borderlands into the Forgottem Realms? There are SO many places that would qualify as Borderlands that I'd likely incorporate it if you gave me a place to hook or shoehorn it in.

 

[Mythmere1]

Do you provide a section for integrating your borderlands into the Forgottem Realms? There are SO many places that would qualify as Borderlands that I'd likely incorporate it if you gave me a place to hook or shoehorn it in.

Since WotC doesn't have a license for third-party publishers, we're under the rules of the OGL, which don't allow us to publish anything that interacts with someone else's trademarks (like "Forgotten Realms" specifically). So no, sadly, we can't offer any guidance about how to integrate the areas.

 

[Charles Wright]

There's much more information available now! The Borderlands Kickstarter Event is live!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/the-lost-lands-borderland-provinces/description

 

[Matthan]

I'm trying to sort through this kickstarter. Has anyone found any information on what rules content is contained in the campaign guide? Are there new monsters, spells, or classes (or new content in general)? Or does it just mean that the various NPCs are statted in the corresponding system?

Obviously, the adventure book makes a difference in systems. I just want to know what rules content is going to be included in the campaign guide.

 

[Mythmere1]

I'm trying to sort through this kickstarter. Has anyone found any information on what rules content is contained in the campaign guide? Are there new monsters, spells, or classes (or new content in general)? Or does it just mean that the various NPCs are statted in the corresponding system?

Obviously, the adventure book makes a difference in systems. I just want to know what rules content is going to be included in the campaign guide.

The campaign guide contains a couple of new monsters, but no "new rules" for any of the 3 systems. There are a number of lairs in the book, so the different systems for resolving skill-like tasks are adapted to take advantage of a specific system. And of course all the NPCs and monsters in the various encounters are statted for the particular system and adjusted to the varying risk levels they represent.

Our 5e conversion-artist, James, is actually writing up an update for the Kickstarter, discussing the theory and practice of conversion, how to take advantage of the different ways that systems affect different situations, and why he did what he did during the course of developing Borderlands 5e. The base document was written in the general language of original D&D, then broken out into the 3 systems we work with. The step from OD&D into other systems required all three converters to consider different ways to do that "step," so the specifics of almost everything were designed with a specific system in mind. It's not a book that was written in one system and then "converted" with formulas -- each book reflects fundamental design decisions made to build on the strengths and methods of the specific system. What we're calling "conversion" is actually much closer to "design."

 

[Charles Wright]

The bulk of the campaign book are descriptions of the Provinces by chapter. Listing the major city, history, adventure hooks, NPCs, and so forth — Campaign Details.

The campaign guide will also include the adventure "Rogues in Remballo", which will be going out free to backers tomorrow (Saturday Oct. 16). Don't worry, though, we will be linking the free module to the general public from our KS page for everyone else the next day.

No new spells, classes, or archetypes. This book really focuses on the lands that have just been mentioned in our other products in the area (Chiefly Rappan Athuk, The Lost City of Barakus, and Sundered Kingdoms).

What it ISN'T is just a list of NPC stats. It's a sandbox campaign setting that you can build off of, use with our other Lost Lands products, or outright steal content from for your home game!

 

[Mouseferatu]

For those interested in new monsters, though, there are several of those in the adventure book.

 

[Mythmere1]

For those interested in new monsters, though, there are several of those in the adventure book.

YES! And we've really been stinting the Adventure Book on the publicity, frankly. We will remedy that once the free module clears the gate, because the adventures are true works of art.

 

[Matthan]

Ok, here's where I'm at. I'm a 5E player. I have never read nor played anything from the Lost Lands or Necromancer/Frog God. All the material that this setting references are in systems that I don't use. I want to back this though because so many folks on this forum have spoken so highly of the material from the publisher. I need something to sell me. What sets this apart from other settings? What's the hook that will make me love reading it and want to play in it?

 

[Charles Wright]

It's true, it does reference that material, but the other material isn't essential to using the Borderland Provinces as campaign setting material. It gives you lands with a rich history to use as your own and stands on its own as a campaign setting because it acts as a core to tie the pillars of the older material together.

There are a few things that I would love to tell you about but are going to be revealed during the Kickstarter. We've got a free module for the setting coming out over the weekend, if you check our update section a the Kickstarter there are some reviews of the module (Rogues in Remballo).

Let's not forget 25 to 30 pages of expanded "Quick Reference" encounter tables to be found in the index. Something that I personally find to be worth their weight in gold.

As an end note, I would like to say that this is the first campaign setting product that we're offering for 5E, the book wasn't designed under the assumption that you have any of the other material because it simply isn't available for 5E players yet. We are testing the waters to see if what we have to offer as a campaign setting is something that the 5E players want. We know that you like our adventures (The Quests of Doom series) and we're hoping that you will like our sandbox campaign style as well!